Drive 84 miles, 1.75 hours to Sleeping Beauty Mtn trailhead
This hike is right next to Shelving Rock Falls that we did on the first day, maybe we should rearrange stuff to combine those two hikes into one day.
The Five Star Trail hiking book rates Sleeping Beauty Mtn 4 stars for scenery, and 3 stars for difficulty. The distance depends on the starting point, and whether or not we hike the loop. There are two possible parking spots, at Hogtown Road and Dacy Clearing. It might be possible to drive the rental car to Dacy Clearing, but it sounds like a muddy road. Five Star Hiking guide says that 1.6 mile road to the campground is "a bit narrow, but in good shape, and vehicles in good condition should have no trouble reaching the clearing." Five Star Hiking guide does not include the optional loop to Bump Pond, but shows it on the map.
All Trails shows a 7 mile hike because it starts at Hogtown Road Parking and includes the full loop.
Experience this 7.00 mile, loop trail near Fort Ann, New York. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 43 min to complete. This is a very popular area for camping, fishing, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round, but the best times to visit are March through November. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas.
Hike Up Sleeping Beauty Mountain
Sleeping Beauty Mountain is a 1.8-mile hike from the Dacy Clearing Road parking lot and trailhead. Sleeping Beauty is located ln public Forest Preserve in the Lake George Wild Forest area on the east side of Lake George in Washington County. This is a short, but rugged and steep hike over the well-worn and heavily eroded trail. At times, the gate at the entrance of Dacy Clearing Road is closed, and hikers need to park at the Hogtown Parking Area, which adds about 3 miles onto the hike’s length.
The trailhead is accessed from Route 149, between Queensbury and Fort Ann. Turn north on Buttermilk Falls Road, followed after several miles by a left turn onto Sly Pond Road. From there, the road turns into Shelving Rock Road, which leads to the Hogtown Trailhead to Sleeping Beauty and Dacy Clearing Road. There are also four campsites along the road between Hogtown and Dacy Clearing.
Sleeping Beauty Mountain Trail
The trail begins at Dacy Clearing parking lot. The trail starts out wide and very rocky, with large rocks acting as stepping stones through wet and muddy areas. After about three-quarters of a mile, the trail reaches a junction. Both trails lead the summit of Sleeping Beauty. The trail to the left goes by Bumps Pond, while the trail to the right passes below cliffs that are popular with rock climbers. The trail around Bump Pond is considerably longer.
Turning right, the trail soon passes over a small bridge in a grassy area, and then bears southeast. At this point, it begins to ascend steep sections. After a few switchbacks, the trail grows steep and heavily eroded with huge overlapping roots and open cliff faces. The surrounding forest changes from a northern hardwoods to a one dominated by conifers, especially hemlock and spruce.
The Summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain
Near the summit, on the northeast side of the mountain, the trail connects with the Bumps Pond trail. Soon the trail reaches a major overlook area that has large spaces of open rock. This is technically a false summit but is nearly the height of the full mountain and it’s the place where the vast majority of people stop on this hike. The views are sweeping of Lake George and the mountains and ridges on the east side. The true summit is less than another half mile along the full loop but is fully under tree cover with no viewpoints.
Hikers can choose whether to turn back at this point and follow the same route down, or continue on in a loop to Bumps Pond. The trail around Bumps Pond add about two miles to the hike. The hike is overall of moderate difficulty, with some significant steep sections, although it is only a total of 3.6 miles from Dacy Clearing. If the road into Dacy Clearing is not open, the walk in the road would add a total of three miles, adding significantly to the overall hike and difficulty level, so be aware of the possibility that it could be closed at certain times of year. It is most often open in the summer, but early spring and fall the gate could be unpredictable.
Drive 0.75 hr, 22 miles to Lake George Kayak
Spend the afternoon trying a Kayak on Lake George
Driving from 1.1 hrs, 68 miles, from Lake George back to Elizabethtown
